PSY101 chapter 1

Biological Perspective

Focuses on how our biological features, like the brain, affect our behaviors and decision making

• How physical aspects affects behavior

Cognitive Perspective

A research perspective that focuses on how our cognitive functions, like memory, perspective, and problem solving, affect our behavior.

How our brains processing affects behavior

Behavioral Perspective

A research perspective that focuses on how external events shape our behaviors.

Sociocultural Perspective

A research perspective that focuses on how other people and our cultural context affects our behaviors

How people shape behavior

Laboratory Observation (Descriptive Methods)

Research that observes behavior unobtrusively in the lab

Naturalistic Observation (Descriptive Methods)

Research that observes behavior in a natural setting.

Participant Observation (Descriptive Methods)

Research that observes behavior by having the observer become a part of the group being observed.

Case Study (Descriptive Methods)

Research that observes an individual over a long period of time.

Survey Research (Descriptive Methods)

Researcher uses questionnaires and interviews to collect information about a group of people's behaviors and beliefs.

Population (Descriptive Methods)

The entire group of people a researcher is studying

Sample (Descriptive Methods)

The group of people from the population that participate in the research

Scatterplot

A visual depiction of correlation data

Each dot represents the scores between two variables a participant got

How in line the dots signifies how strong the relationship is. The straighter the line the stronger the relationship.

Third-Variable Problem

An explanation for a correlation between two variables that claims a third variable could be the reason for the relationship between two variables.

Spurious Correlation

A correlation between two variables. Claims that two variables are related through one or more other variables but not because the two variables cause each other.

Independent Variable

The variable that is the cause and is therefore manipulated by the experimenter

Dependent Variable

The variable that is affected by the independent and is measured by the experimenter

Random Assignment

Participants are randomly assigned to groups in order to have equal variation of people across various groups in an experiment

Experimental Group

The group exposed to the independent variable in an experiment.

Control Group

The group not exposed to the independent variable or manipulated in any way.

Placebo Effect/Group

A control group that believes they are exposed to the independent variable but is not. Sometimes improvement can happen simply because they believe they are exposed.

Operational Definition

Description of the operations or procedures that a researcher uses to manipulate or measure a variable

Double-Blind Procedure

A control measure in an experiment in which neither the experimenters nor the participants know who is in the experimental or control group

Meta-Analysis

A statistical technique combining the results of a large number of studies on one experimental question into one analysis to make an overall conclusion

Mean

The average of distribution scores

Median

The score in the middle of a group of scores that are arranged highest to lowest

Mode

Most frequently occurring score in a distribution of scores

Range

The difference between the highest and lowest scores in a distribution of scores

Standard Deviation

The average extent that the scores vary from the mean for a distribution of scores

Normal Distribution

A frequency distribution shaped like a bell. 68% of the scores fall within 1 standard deviation of the mean. 95% of scores fall within 2 standard deviations of the mean. 99% of scores within 3 standard deviations of the mean.

Percentile Rank

The percentage of scores below a specific score in a distribution of scores

Skewed Distributions

Frequency distributions that are asymmetric in shape

Right-Skewed Distribution

An asymmetric frequency distribution where scores are unusually high and distort the mean to be greater than the median.

Left-skewed Distribution

Asymmetric Frequency distribution where the scores are unusually low and distort the mean to be less than the median.